Hackers have been harnessing the computer processing power of YouTube viewers to mine cryptocurrencies. The malware attack, known as ‘cryptojacking’, was found to have targeted users through Google’s advertising service.

The issue first surfaced last week after social media users reported that YouTube ads were triggering their anti-virus software, according to Ars Technica. These ads were found to contain mining code called CoinHive that covertly used up to 80 percent of visitors’ central processing units to generate digital currency for anonymous hackers.

The hack is said to have affected users in countries such as Japan, France, Taiwan, Italy and Spain. Researchers from anti-virus provider Trend Micro found the abuse of Google’s DoubleClick advertising platform drove a three-fold increase in the number of people using CoinHive on January 24.

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